By TAKEHIRO TOMODA/ Staff Writer
December 8, 2025 at 18:58 JST
The rice cooker section of a major appliance store (Makoto Tsuchiya)
The scorching summer pushed up sales of air conditioners to such an extent that appliance manufacturers recorded their second-highest level of sales ever in the first half of 2025.
The Japan Electrical Manufacturers' Association released statistics that showed total sales of 1.39 trillion yen ($9 billion), second only to the first half of 1991.
The figure represented a 3.5-percent increase over the same period in 2024.
Room air conditioner unit sales increased by 9 percent over the first half of 2024 to 550.5 billion yen.
An association official said the strong sales represented not only the summer weather, but consumers following recommendations to test-run the machines as early as possible.
Sales of air purifiers were also strong due to demand from hotels and other lodging facilities accommodating the increase in foreign tourists.
Rice cookers touted to effectively cook rice from older harvests also enjoyed robust sales, reflecting the government's release of stockpiled rice this year.
On the other hand, refrigerators and washing machines saw decreases in sales compared to the same period in 2024; surging consumer prices apparently translated to the public holding back on purchasing new washing machines.
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